Independent Clamping Actuator for Electro-Mechanical Continuously Variable Transmission

摘要

Providing sufficient clamping force on the V-belt in continuously variable transmission (CVT) is very important to avoid high power consumption from the engine and also to keep the amount of power loss between the primary pulley and the secondary pulley as minimum as possible. Insufficient clamping force causes the V-belt to slip, which in an extreme case is damaging to the V-belt and the pulleys, thus reducing their lifespan. Besides, it also leads to high power loss, hence decreasing the efficiency of the CVT. In contrary, excessive clamping force results in high power consumption from the engine to produce the desired hydraulic pressure in CVT's actuation system. As an effort to address these issues, the concept of electro-mechanical CVT (EM CVT) with independent clamping actuator is proposed. In this paper, firstly, the proposed concept of EM CVT with independent clamping actuator is introduced. Next, the simplified schematic diagram of the proposed clamping actuator together with its working principle is briefly described. Finally, the potential benefits that can be reaped through this proposal are discussed.